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‘Hank’ and ‘Dollhouse’ Out, ‘UneXpected’ In

By Edward Wyatt November 11, 2009 7:23 pmNovember 11, 2009 7:23 pm

The fall television season is winding down, which means that broadcast networks are beginning to clear out shows that have failed to attract audiences this year and scheduling some that they hope will do better.

ABC on Wednesday canceled “Hank,” the Kelsey Grammer series about a downsized chief executive taking up a frugal new life in the country.

Though that premise is seemingly in tune with the times, the series has been losing viewers, drawing an audience of only about 5 million people recently, well below its average of 6.6 million through five episodes, according to Nielsen. (That audience is still bigger than the 5.2 million that NBC’s “Parks & Recreation” has drawn this season.)

ABC will replace “Hank” with repeats of “Modern Family” over the next three weeks, although the network has five unaired episodes of “Hank” that it can use later to fill spots on its schedule.

This is the second straight series starring Mr. Grammer to be cancelled following his hugely successful run on “Cheers” and “Frasier.” Fox’s “Back to You” was cancelled in 2007 after seven episodes.

Meanwhile, Fox notified Joss Whedon, the creator of “Dollhouse,” that the series would not be renewed after its 13-episode second season is completed. The network renewed the series after last season despite relatively low ratings. This season, however, the series was attracting fewer than 3 million viewers, down from about 4.5 million last season. The series will broadcast six episodes on three Fridays in December, with the final three episodes to be scheduled in January.

The CW network scheduled a midseason series that has been much discussed among television critics. “Life UneXpected,” about a teenage foster child who is seeking to become an emancipated minor, will be broadcast on Monday nights beginning Monday, Jan. 18 at 9 p.m., taking the slot normally occupied by “Gossip Girl” while that series is on hiatus. Beginning March 8, when “Gossip Girl” returns, the new series moves to 8 p.m.

In development: Kelsey Grammar as a washed-up one-trick pony desperate to revisit his former success by shoehorning a semi-amusing supporting character into one insufferable leading role after another. Every week, a new pilot episode airs and bombs.

I’m slightly intrigued by the premise of Life Unexpected, but this is the CW we’re talking about–we’ll see. So far the only series I watch on that network is the Supernatural, which has evolved into a really strong and ambitious series